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Christmas 2014
Ross & Karin Olson
6711 Lake Shore Drive S #1105
Dear Family and Friends,
Richfield MN 55423
It has been a pivotal year for us, and indeed for our entire family! After 32 years
in the same house, we moved to Gramercy Lake Shore, a senior co-op in Richfield.
When the apartment became available,
we got the house ready, listed and quickly
sold. We physically moved October 22.
Still close to church, near freeways and
convenient shopping, Gramercy is also like
a small town with 159 units and lots of
interesting people in them.
There are frequent top notch concerts, regular pot luck or catered meals and other weekly social gatherings.
A VFW is attached and will even deliver food to the Gramercy “homes.” We have not used the exercise
room, store, ping pong or pool tables nor the beauty shop, but we attend as many events as we can. And
the spacious “Gramercy Room” is great for family parties! We’ve already used it three times. Wood Lake
Nature Center is right across the street with lots of wildlife. Karin saw an eagle circling the top of the next
building our second morning here . Very inspiring !! We do have to sell the one bedroom apartment that we
bought a year ago to become members and for storing things while staging the house. It’s a lovely unit.
We look out at the snow we don’t have to shovel and take the elevator down to our warm car in the heated
garage when we want to go out. (If we leave the premises, of course, we still have to interact with what is
ironically called “the temperate zone” here in Minnesota.) Our laundry is right in the apartment, which also
has plenty of closets and a large storeroom is just
across the hall. The long den is both library and office
for both Ross and Karin, who also uses it as her craft
room. Her sewing machine is in the corner of the spacious guest bedroom. The master suite has space for a
book case, reading nook and TV area. Downsizing has
been a huge but worthwhile project. Now others can
enjoy many of our “things.”
The grandkids have begun to make new memories
while still treasuring those they made in the old house.
There are many closets for “hide and seek”. In the parking garage there is a “Free Table” where residents
can leave unwanted items and anyone can take. If other peoples’ grandkids appropriate as much as ours do,
there must be the turnover of a moderately sized thrift store.
The Lord has provided these easier living conditions, which we pray (once we get through the strenuous process of getting settled) will allow us to put more energy into the ministries He has allowed us to have. We
still host Chinese students when they first come and keep up contact with a number of them. Karin is a
group leader in Bible Study Fellowship and a Mentor Mom in Mothers of Preschoolers as well as teaching Kindergarten Sunday School and interviewing clients one afternoon a week at the Community Emergency Services foodshelf. Ross teaches Junior Church (4th—6th graders) including twice a year hikes along the nearby
rivers. He chairs the Outreach Commission (missions and community service) and facilitates Men’s Fellowship. He also chairs the board of Outpost Ministries and serves on the board of Twin Cities Creation Science
Association and manages their web site. We do lots of activities with the grandchildren when we can and
have 4 or 5 of them for a “Grandpa Day” every Wednesday and the youngest sleeps over once a week for
BSF. Ross volunteered for the Health and Wellness Committee, Karin the Sunshine Committee at Gramercy.
Rather than bore and/or gross you out with an “organ recital” as old age makes itself felt, here is a snapshot:
At 72, Ross walks like his Dad did at 90, but still goes on those hikes — along with enough other — younger
and stronger adults and youth — to carry him out if the need should arise. Karin goes through a lot of
maintenance to keep herself going after 46 years of type 1 diabetes, but go she does with all the activities
mentioned and a real gift for making friends and hosting — something we intend to resume soon. And when
the long delayed sofa arrives, people will not have to sit on folding chairs! She had surgery to decrease gastro-esophageal reflux (“heartburn” for all you non-medical types) done at the same time as changing the
battery in her gastric pacemaker (a device that tells her stomach when to contract) and although it did stop
the reflux, some of the symptoms continue, apparently because of esophageal motility problems (if you want
to know, you can look it up!) Karin enjoys saying that she takes off her leg at the end of the day to relax!!
We will now highlight the grandchildren. Christopher, 18, graduated from home school and is starting a photography business. He is a recent world record holder in Rubik's cube competition. Patrick, 15, is driving and
loves video games — and can tell the difference. He helps with the youth group and children’s church. Aizec,
13, still does yoyo shows and bullwhip demonstrations and hopes to play baseball. Annika, 8, shows dramatic
and artistic ability. Laura, 11, does writing, speaking and drama. Helen, 9, has been in a couple of plays,
quite convincing as a monkey in “Jungle Book”. Esther, 6, went with us to Chicago after graduating from BSF
children’s program and she took it all in with gusto. Clara, 4, acts, playing “the cute card,” according to her
sisters. Avery, 16, is working diligently in her first year of high school and wants her friends to know God.
Xavier, 12, is a wiz in math and following in the foot steps of his dad learning to play the saxophone. No one
in the family has won a Nobel Prize yet, but each has been given a package of abilities and challenges with
opportunity to use them for the Lord Jesus Christ who created them and longs some day to welcome each of
them with a “Well done, good and faithful servant.” As parents and grandparents, we want to be examples
and encouragers, walking with them and transparently sharing the ways that the Lord has brought us
through the storms and the calms, the mountains and the valleys of our own lives — awesome responsibility.
At Christmas we remember and celebrate the unexpected way the all powerful God accomplished this, by
becoming one of us, a human being, experiencing everything that we did, but living the perfect life. For this
he was reviled, rejected, beaten and crucified, enduring it so that He could take our punishment and allow us
to live in fellowship with Him, even — incredibly —become instruments in His hands for the good of others.
Think of the Christ of Christmas this year.
Ross & Karin Olson